Door latch mechanism



Aug. 2, 1966 A. J. D] SALVO DOOR LATCH MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 14, 1964 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS m M 6 w W N A Aug. 2, 1966 A. J. DI sALvo 3,264,024

DOOR LATCH MECHANISM Filed Feb. 14, .1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS FICA

ATTORN EYS United States Patent Delaware Filed Feb. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 344,859 11 Claims. (Cl. 292-48) This invention relates to latch mechanisms for swinging doors, especially the doors of automobile or other vehicle bodies.

In the application of Anthony J. Di Salvo and Maurice M. Westerdale entitled Vehicle Door Latch Mechanism, filed September 13, 1961, as Serial No. 137,765, new Patent Number 3,121,579, issued February 18, 1964, and assigned to the assignee of this application, there is disclosed a vehicle door latch mechanism of the free wheeling type. A free wheeling latch mechanism is one in which at least the outside operator, such as a push button, pivoted handle, or the like, is always responsive to manual actuation whether the latch mechanism is in an unlocked or locked condition. If in an unlocked condition, actuation of the operator releases the latch mechanism and permits unlatching or opening movement of the door; if in a locked condition, actuation of the operator will not release the latch mechanism and the door cannot be unlatched or opened.

The Di Salvo et al. latch mechanism was constructed and arranged so that the latch mechanism could not be placed in a locked condition when the vehicle door was unlatched or opened, i.e., when the latch mechanism jaw elements were in an unlatched position and not in engagement with a striker or keeper device mounted on a vehicle body door frame or the like. In order to place this latch mechanism in a locked condition, it was first necessary to swing the vehicle door to a fully closed position in which the jaw elements were in a fully latched relationship to the striker or keeper device. A locking lever forming part of the latch mechanism could then be manipulated to place the latch mechanism in a locked condition or one in which the outside operator had rfree wheeling movement.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a latch mechanism having many of the characteristics of the Di Salvo et al. latch mechanism, but which includes an additional feature in that provision is made for placing the latch mechanism in a locked condition even though the vehicle door may be open and the jaw elements are in unlatched position. Further, as the jaw elements are moved from an unlatched to a latched position upon engagement with the striker or keeper device as the door is moved from an opened to a closed posi tion, the latch mechanism may remain in a locked condition or may be restored to an unlocked condition depending upon whether or not the outside operator is in an actuated or nonactuated condition. That is, if the outside operator, such as a push button, is held in a depressed position as the door is swung to a closed position, the latch mechanism is constructed and arranged to remain in a locked condition if placed in such condition prior to the closing movement of the door. If the outside operator, such as the push button, is not depressed as the door is swung to a closed position, a kickout means becomes operative to restore the latch mechanism to unlocked condition as the door is closed.

Latch mechanisms constructed and arranged so that they may be placed in Locked condition When the vehicle door is open, and which will remain in locked condition or be restored to unlocked condition as the door is swung shut depending upon whether or not the outside operator is manipulated, are well-known in the prior art.

The latch mechanism embodying the present invention is, however, a simple and effective aippliaotion of this principle of operation to the free wheeling latch mechanism disclosed by Di Salvo et al.

The Di Salvo et al. latch mechanism comprises a support plate for disposition at a free edge wall of a vehicle doorv Pivoted latch device means are mounted on the support plate for movement between door latched and door unlatched positions. Also mounted on the support plate is a detent means which is biased into engagement with the latch device means in both door latched and door unlatched positions. In door latched position, the detent means is effective to restrain unlatching movement of the latch device means, and in door unlatched position the detent means merely lies in abutting relation to a camming surface on the latch device means. For actuation of the detent means, there is provided an outer manually operable means which includes a member coupled to and selectively positionable on the detent means in detent means actuating and nonactuating positions. The position of the coupling member relative to the detent means is controlled by a locking lever pivotally mounted on the support. This locking lever is positionable in either an unlocked position in which it positions and guides the coupling member for detent means actuating movement or in a locked position in which it positions and guides the coupling member for detent means nonactuating movement.

In the Di Salvo et al. latch mechanism the oam ming action of the latch device means in unlatched position results in a displacement of the detent means which is transmitted through abutting parts of the detent means and the locking lever and results in displacement of the locking lever. When so displaced the locking lever is rendered inoperative to shift the coupling member from detent means actuating to detent nonactuating position, and thus the door cannot be placed in a locked condition when open.

In the present latch mechanism, the portion of the detent means which would abut the locking lever is in effect replaced by a transmitting member pivotally mounted on the detent means and bodily shiftable thereby. This transmitting member upon being bodily shifted by the detent means through the camming action of the latch device means is operative, if the locking lever is placed in locked position with the vehicle door in an open or unlatched position, to restore the locking lever to unlocked position. But if the outer manually operable means is actuated so that the coupling member is moved while in detent means nonactuating position, this coupling member coacts with and pivots the transmitting member on the detent means to a position in which it bypasses the locking lever and thus becomes ineffective to restore the locking lever from locked to unlocked position.

Other objects and advantages and the features of construction of the present invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the latch mechanism as it appears from the inside of the vehicle door;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are fragmentary views in part similar to FIG. 1 illustrating parts of the latch mechanism in operative positions dilierent from that shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an elevational view in part sectional taken from the right side of FIG. 1.

In the drawings there is illustrated, by way of example, a preferred embodiment of the present invention as applied to the doors and door frame structures of an automobile body.

Adapted to be secured as by means of screws (not shown), to the inner side of the free edge wall of a vehicle door is a case plate 11. Case'plate 11 has a flange 12 that is adapted to be positioned alongside the inner panel of the door.

The latch mechanism has a pair of pivoted latch devices comprising jaw elements 13. As best seen in FIG. 4, the jaw elements are positioned at the outer face of the case plate 11 and are provided with integral studs vor pivot shafts 14 having reduced bearing portions 15 extending through apertures in the case plate, each aperture having a flanged edge 16 providing bearing support for the bearing portions 15. The inner reduced end or hearing portion 15 of each stud or shaft 14 is provided with longitudinally extending flats 17 thereon. Fitted over the reduced end or bearing portion 15 and keyed thereto by the flats 17 are a pair of control plates 18 and 19, respectively. From the foregoing, it is apparent that each jaw element 13 is rigidly coupled to a control plate 18 or 19, respectively, being concentric therewith on a shaft 14. As defined herein, each latch device thus comprises a jaw element 13, a pivot shaft 14 and a respective control plate 19 or 21.

Each jaw element 13 is a substantially triangular plate member having its pivot axis located near the apex end. The base or side 21 opposite the apex end is outwardly rounded and is provided in the center thereof with a semicircular recess or striker receiving notch 22.

Each control plate is a gear sector having teeth 23, which areintermeshed to couple the control plates for correlated swinging movement toward and from each other into and out of door latched condition. A spiral spring 24 is disposed substantially coaxially with and adjacent the inner face of the control plate 18. The spring 24 has its inner end 25 operatively connected to the shaft 14 carrying the control plate 18, the shaft having a diagonal slot or kerf 26 receiving the spring end. The outer or free end 27 of the spring 24 is looped over the edge of a notch 28 in the plate flange 12. The spring 24 is installed in a preloaded condition so that at all times it tends to rotate control plate 18, its associated shaft 14 and jaw element 13 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1. Since the control plate 19 is coupled to the control plate 18 through the gear teeth 23, rotative force exerted by the spring 24 on the plate 18 is transmitted to the plate 18 tending to rotate it, its shaft 14 and the associated jaw element 13 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1.

The control plate 19 is provided with two peripherally spaced abutments or ratchet teeth 29 and 31, respectively. Cooperable with the abutment or ratchet toothed edge of the control plate 19 is a swinging detent 32 pivotally mounted on a shoulder rivet 33 secured to the case plate 11.

The detent 32 is pivoted intermediate its ends and extends in a substantially horizontal direction across the plate 11. At one side of the pivot axis, the right side as viewed in FIG. 1, the detent is provided with an abutment portion 34 extending in a substantially upward direction for cooperation with the teeth or abutments 29 and 31 on the control plate 19. When the detent abutment 34 is in engagement with the control plate abutment 29, the jaw elements 13 are in a secondary latched position. When the abutment 34 is in engagement with the latched control plate abutment 31, as shown in FIG. 1, the jaw elements 13 are in a final latched position, as will be more fully explained. To the right of its pivot axis 33, the detent 32 has an extension 35 and to the left of its pivot axis it has an enlarged stepped or embossed portion 36. The portion 36 of the detent has a substan-.

tially L-shaped slot 37 therein. Slot 37 has a section 38 extending radially oflthe pivot axis 33 and a section 39 extending upwardly from the inner end of the section 38 and ciroumferentially relative to the pivot axis 33.

Extending through the slot 37 is a coupling member 41.

The coupling member 41 is preferably made of a low friction coeflicient material, such as one of the nylon or Teflon plastic used for bearing or bushing devices. The coupling member has an enlarged head portion, not visible, at one end thereof and a cylindrical portion 42 which slidably fits through the slot 37. The projecting cylindrical portion 42 is encompassed by one end 43 of a lever, generally designated 44. A washer (not shown) is interposed between the adjacent surfaces of the lever 44 and the detent portion 36. A snap washer 45 retains the coupling member 41 in sl-idable coupled relation to the detent portion 36 and the lever end 43. The coupling member 41 has a longitudinally extending aperture therethrough which receives the L-shaped end 46 of a link or rod 47 connecting the coupling member 41 to an outside operator mounted on the vehicle door. The rod or link 47 is adapted to be coupled to a conventional door handle assembly (not shown) which includes a push button and a bell crank for translating the movement of the push button inwardly of the vehicle door into lifting movement of the link or rod 47.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the coupling member 41 is illustrated as being at the extreme outer end of the radially extending section 38 of the slot 37 in the end 36 of the detent 32. Upon the link 47 being raised (through actuation of an outside door handle assembly), the coupling member 41 will cause the detent 32 to be swung in'a clockwise direction about its pivot axis 33. This will cause the abutment portion 34 on the detent 32 to move out of the path of the abutments 31 and 29 on the latch control plate 19. This permits the spring 24 to urge the jaw elements toward unlatched condition and thereby permits the vehicle door to be opened.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the coupling member 41 is shown at the inner end of the section 38 of the slot 37, or in a position to move upwardly in the circumferentially extending section 39 of the slot. Under this condition, upward movement of the link 47 remains effective to raise the coupling member 41. The coupling member, however, moves freely relative to the detent 32 and the latter is maintained in a relationship such that its abutment 34 blocks movement of the control plate 19 thereby holding the latch mechanism jaw elements in latched condition.

The position of the coupling member 41 is controlled by the above mentioned lever 44, which may hereinafter be referred to as the locking lever. This lever 44 is substantially L-shaped, the aforementioned end 43 thereof being the upper end of a curved substantially vertically upstanding leg 49. The base leg 51 of the lever extends in a substantially horizontal direction. The locking lever 44 is pivotally mounted intermediate the ends of the base leg 51 on a pivot stud 52 secured to the plate 11. The vertical leg 49 is embossed away from the plane of the plate 11 so that its upper end will overlie the end 36 of the detent 32. This leg 49 is provided with a curved slot 53 through which the coupling member 41 projects. The slot 53 extends in a substantially vertical direction thereby permitting up and down movement of the coupling member 41 relative to the locking lever. Although freely movable in an up and down direction, the coupling member is responsive to swinging movement of the locking lever so that it can be laterally shifted relative to the radial and circumferential portions of the slot 37 in the detent 32.

When the locking lever 44 is in the position shown in FIG. 1, the coupling member 41 will be held by the lever arm 49 at the extreme outer end of the section 38 of the detent slot 37. The position of the coupling member 41 in the slot 53 is substantially intermediate the ends of the latter. As the rod 47 is lifted upon actuation of the outside door handle assembly, the detent 32 will be actuated as the coupling 42 travels freely up the slot 53.

As the locking lever 44 is swung in a clockwise direction from its FIG. 1 to its FIG. 2 position, it laterally shifts the coupling member 41 inwardly to position the latter at the base of the circumferentially extending section 39 of the detent slot 37. If the rod 47 is now raised by actuation of the outside door handle assembly, the coupling member 41 will idly travel up the overlying portions of the slots 37 and 53 without causing movement of either the detent 32 or locking lever 44. The coupling member is here said to be in a detent nonactuating position and the latch mechanism may be considered in locked or free wheeling condition. This means that the door cannot be unlatched by operation of the outside operator or push button.

The locking lever 44 is adapted to be swung from nonlocking position into locking position either from the inside or the outside of the vehicle door. For actuation from the inside of the door, the end of the locking lever base leg 51 to the right of the pivot axis 52 is provided with an aperture 54 adapted to receive the end of a rod (not shown) provided with an access button (not shown) located on the inner side of the door panel in an accessible location for actuation from the inside of the door. The locking lever 44 has at the other side of its pivot axis an aperture 55 located in the leg 49. This aperture 55 is adapted to receive a rod or link (not shown) coupled to a crank arm of a conventional key operated mechanism accessible from the outside of the vehicle door in a manner well-known in the art.

The locking lever 44 is yieldably held and urged toward its limits of movement by means of a toggle spring 56 of suitable strength attached at one end to the locking lever base leg 51 and at its other end to the plate 11. The range of movement of the locking lever 44 in a counterclockwise direction is controlled by the lower edge 57 of the case plate flange 12. The edge 57 acts as a stop which limits the upward movement of the portion of the base leg 51 to the right of the pivot axis 52. The range of movement of the locking lever in a clockwise direction is limited by abutment of the coupling member 41 against the right end of the section 38 of the slot 37, as viewed in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

The present latch mechanism is preferably operated from the inside of the vehicle door through the medium of a remote control mechanism (not shown) connected to a longitudinally shiftable draft link 58 which is pivotally connected to the lower end 59 of a bell crank 61 (see FIG. 4). The bell crank 61 is pivoted on the shank of a shoulder rivet 62 secured to the case plate flange 12. The bell crank 61 has an angularly upwardly extending arm 63 adapted to overlie the extension 35 on the end of the detent means 32. Upon the bell crank lever being swung in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4, it will engage the extension end 35 of the detent 32 causing the latter to be swung in a clockwise direction out of the path of the ratchet teeth of abutments 29 and 31. It should be noted that actuation of the detent 32 through the bell crank 61 is independent of actuation by the outer manually operable means. Thus, even if the outside operator :is rendered inoperative to disengage the detent from the latch device, the detent can always be disengaged from the latch device from the inside of the vehicle through actuation of the remote control mechanism.

The detent 32 is urged into latching engagement with the ratchet teeth abutments 29 and 31 by a coil spring 64 having its inner end held in a slot 65 in the pivot stud33 mounting the detent 32 on the plate 11. The spring 64 is provided with a horizontally extending free end portion 66 which overlies an edge of the step or embossment 36 in the detent. The spring 64 is preloaded so that it constantly urges the detent in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1.

The manner in which the jaw elements 13 are adapted to coact with a striker or keeper device, generally designated 67, as seen in FIG. 4, is fully described in C. F. Kramer, US. Patent No. 2,987,336. Accordingly, reference is made to that patent for these details.

The latch mechanism as described this far has substantially the features of the latch mechanism disclosed in the aforementioned Di Salvo et al. Patent No. 3,121,579. The Di Salvo et al. latch mechanism is constructed and arranged so that when the latch device jaw elements are in unlatched position the control plate (corresponding to the control plate 19 of the present latch mechanism) has a part thereof which blocks return of the detent means to the position it occupies when it latching engagement with the latch device means. The Di Salvo et al. detent means has a further part which in displaced position of the detent means blocks movement of the locking lever from unlocked to locked position. Therefore, the Di Salvo et al. latch mechanism can only be placed in free wheeling or locked condition when the vehicle door is closed and the latch mechanism is fully latched.

Some people prefer to be able to place a latch mechanism in locked condition when the vehicle door is in an opened position so that when the door is slammed shut, the latch mechanism remains in locked condition. This is known as keyless locking. With such a latch mechanism, it is very easy to lock oneself out of the car. To overcome this disadvantage there has been added a further refinement (known to the prior art) of the keyless locking principle which requires that the outside operator, such as the push button, be deliberately held in a depressed condition as the door is slammed shut. It is reasoned that the act of holding the outside operator, such as the push button, in a depressed condition functions as a reminder that the door is being locked without the use of a key and that the whereabouts of the key should be ascertained before the keys are locked inside the vehicle body.

The present invention incorporates the refined keyless locking principle in the latch mechanism having the characteristics of the Di Salvo et al. latch mechanism. This is accomplished by mounting an additional lever, generally designated 68, on the extension 35 of the detent means 32. The lever 68, which may hereinafter be referred to as a transfer or transmitting member, is pivotally supported on the detent 32 by means of a pivot stud 69, the pivot stud being located between the pivot stud 33 mounting the detent 32 on the plate 11 and the flange 12. The transmitting member 68 has an elongated arm 71 extending in a substantially horizontal direction across the top of the detent 32. The arm 71 is of a length sufficient to overlie the coupling member 41 in its outermost position relative to the slot 37 in the detent, as seen in FIG. 1. The transmitting member 68 has a short downwardly depending arm or abutment portion 72 and a short upwardly extending projection 73. The downwardly depending portion 72 is adapted to have coacting engagement with a lug or upturned flange 74 on the looking lever 44, as will be more fully explained.

A spiral spring 75 is provided for urging the transmitting member in a counterclockwise direction relative to the detent means, as viewed in the drawings. The spiral spring 75 has its inner end engaged in a notch 76 in the pivot stud 69 which is fixed relative to the detent means extension 35. The free end 77 of the spring is hooked over the projection 73 on the transmitting member, the spring being preloaded so as to urge the transmitting member in the counterclockwise direction specified.

It should be noted that the control plate 19 is provided with a camming surface 78, for a purpose to become apparent.

The operation of the keyless locking feature of the present latch mechanism can be understood by reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive. In FIG. 1, the latch mechanism is illustrated in latched condition with the detent 32 in engagement with the control plate 19 and with the locking lever 44 in unlocked position. To release the latch mechanism from the outside of the door, it is only necessary to raise the link 47. This results in the coupling member 41 causing the detent to be swung in a clockwise direction to move the abutment 34 out of the path of the abutments 31 and 29 on the control plate 19. The jaw elements 13 will then pivot to an unlatched position. Because of the contour of the camming surface 78 on the control plate 19, the detent 32, after release of the outside operator, will assume the same position that it had when in latched position. There is suflicient clearance between the facing surfaces of the transmitting member depending portion 72 and the lug 74 in the locking lever to permit the locking lever to be swung to a locked position.

Reference is made to FIG. 2 showing the latch mechanism in unlatched position but with the locking lever in locked position. If the vehicle door now should be slammed shut with the parts of the latch mechanism in the condition as shown in FIG. 2, the control plate 19 will be rotated in a counterclockwise direction as the jaw elements engage the striker or keeper device. The camming portion of the control plate 19 will engage the upper surface of the abutment 34 on the detent causing the detent to be cammed in a clockwise direction. The extension or arm 35 of the detent will be swung downwardly carrying the transmitting member 68 bodily therewith. The result will be that the projection 72 on the transmitting member will abut the lug 74 on the locking lever causing the latter to be swung in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot 52, or to a nonlocked position. The coupling member 41 will then be restored to its FIG. 1 position. As soon as the detent means abutment 34 drops into engagement with the projection 31 on the control plate 19, this defining the final latched position, the transmitting member will be restored to the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. With the door now in a fully closed and fully latched condition, if it is desired to lock the latch mechanism it is only necessary to swing the locking lever from its FIG. 1 position to its FIG. 2 position by either a key operated means accessible from the outside of the door or by an actuation of the push button located at the garnish moulding on the inner panel of the vehicle door. This will result in all of the parts of the latch mechanism assuming the positions shown in FIG. 2, except that the control plate 19 will have been rotated in a counterclockwise direction or to a final latched position, the position shown in FIG. 1.

With the locking lever in the position shown in FIG. 2, any upward movement of the coupling member 41 by lifting of the rod 47 will be ineffective to cause release of the detent 32 from the control plate 19. The coupling member 41 will merely free wheel up and down in the respective overlying portions of the slots 37 and 53.

It will be understood that the door may be opened from the inside because actuation of the bell crank lever 59 through the remote control link 58 will cause the detent 32 to be swung in a counterclockwise direction thereby moving the detent abutment 34 out of the path of the abutments 31 and 29 on the control plate 19. Such actuation of the inside operator will have the further effect of automatically restoring the locking lever 51 to unlocked position because the transmitting member 68 will be carried bodily downwardly so that the projection 72 thereon will abut the lug 74 on the locking lever 44 causing the latter to be kicked in a counterclockwise or unlocking direction.

FIG. 3 illustrates what happens when it is desired to prevent automatic restoration of the locking lever to unlocked position as the vehicle door is swung from an open to a closed position and the latch device jaw elements moved from unlatched to fully latched condition. With the door open and the latch elements in unlatched position, the locking lever 44 is shifted to locked position (as by operation of the push button located at the garnish moulding of the inner panel) thus setting up the relationship of the detent 32, the transmitting member 68 and the locking lever 44 as shown in FIG. 2. The coupling member 41 is then in a detent nonactuating position. Upon the link or rod 47 being lifted by operation of the outside operator, the coupling member moves upwardly and picks up the arm 71 of the transmitting member 68 cansing the latter to be swung in a clockwise direction relative to the detent arm 35 about its pivot 69. This creates the condition shown in FIG. 3 in which the downwardly extending projection 72 of the transmitting member is raised into a bypassing position relative to the lug 74 on the locking lever. As the vehicle door is moved from a fully opened to a fully closed position, the control plate 19 will cam the detent 32 in a clockwise direction causing the transmitting member to be bodily shifted in a path in which there is no engagement between the downward projection 72 and the lug 74. Upon the fully latched position of the latch elements being reached, the detent 32 under urging of its spring 64 will rotate in a counterclockwise direction causing the abutment 34 to drop into engagement with the control plate abutment 31. The restoration of the detent to its normal position will cause the transmitting member 68 to be raised. As soon as the outside operator is released, the link 47 and coupling member 41 will drop back into the position shown in FIG. 2. The transmitting member then will rotate about its pivot axis in a counterclockwise direction to its FIG. 2 position. The latch mechanism will now be in a locked or free wheeling condition as far as the outside operator is concerned, but as explained above, actuation of the inside operator will cause detent disengaging movement and automatic restoration of the locking lever to its unlocked position.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction shown and described but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A latch mechanism comprising a support plate for disposition at a free edge wall of a vehicle door,

pivoted latch device means mounted on said support plate for movement between door latched and door unlatched positions,

detent means pivotally mounted on said support plate and biased into engagement with said latch device means in door latched and door unlatched positions thereof,

said detent means in door latched position of said latch device means restraining unlatching movement and in door unlatched position lying in abutting relation to a camming surface on said latch device means,

outer manually operable means including a member coupled to said detent means and selectively positionable thereon in detent means actuating and nonactuating positions,

a locking lever means pivotally mounted on said support and coupled to said member,

said locking lever means being positionable in either an unlocked position in which it positions and guides said member for detent means actuating movement or in a locked position in which it positions and guides said member for detent means nonactuating movement,

and a transmitting member pivotally mounted on said detent means,

said transmitting member being bodily shiftable by said detent means upon movement of the latter independently of actuation by said outer manually operable means,

said locking lever means when in locked position being engaged by said transmitting member upon such bodily shiftable movement thereof whereby said locking lever means is pivoted to unlocked position,

said transmitting member having a part thereof in abutting relation to said outer manually operable means member whereby movement of the latter when in detent nonactuating position causes pivotal movement of said transmitting member on said detent means to a locking lever means bypassing position,

said transmitting member in said bypassing position being ineffective to shift said locking lever means from locked to unlocked position.

2. A latch mechanism according to claim 1 in which the independent movement of the detent means is occasioned by the camming action of the latch device means as the latter is moved from door unlatched to door latched position.

3. A latch mechanism according to claim 1 in which an inner manually operable means is mounted on said support and is engageable with said detent means for independent actuation thereof.

4. A latch mechanism according to claim 1 in which an inner manually operable means is mounted on said support in operative relationship to said detent means,

and in which the movement of the detent means independently of actuation by said outer manually operable means is occasioned by the camming action of the latch device means as the latter is moved from door unlatched to door latched position, or

in which the independent movement is occasioned by operation of said inner manually operable means.

5. A latch mechanism comprising a support plate for disposition at a free edge wall of a vehicle door,

pivoted latch device means mounted on said support plate for movement between door latched and door unlatched positions,

detent means pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said support plate and having at one side of its pivot axis a part thereof which in door latched position of said latch device means engages a part of the latter to restrain unlatching movement and which in door unlatched position abuts a camming portion of said latch device means,

outer manually operable means including a member coupled to said detent means at the other side of said pivot axis and selectively positionable thereon in detent means actuating and detent means nonactuating positions,

a locking lever means pivotally mounted on said sup port plate and coupled to said member,

said locking lever means being shiftable between an unlocked position in which it positions and guides said member for detent actuating movement and a locked position in which it positions and guides said member for detent means n-onactuating movement,

a transmitting member pivotally mounted on said detent means at said one side of said pivot axis, said transmitting member being bodily shiftable by said detent means toward said locking lever means upon movement of said detent means independently of actuation by said outer manually operable means,

said locking lever means when in locked position being engaged by said transmitting member upon such bodily shiftable movement and being pivoted thereby to unlocked position,

said detent means at said one side of the pivot axis having an extension,

an inner manually operable means mounted on said support engageable with said extension for actuating said detent means independently of said outer manually operable means to permit movement of said latch device means from door latched to door unlatched position.

6. A latch mechanism according to claim 5 in which movement of the detent means independently of actuation by said outer manually operable means is occasioned by the camming action of said latch device means camming portion as the latch device means is moved from door unlatched to door latched position.

7. A latch mechanism comprising a support plate for disposition at a free edge wall of a vehicle door,

pivoted latch device means mounted on said support plate for movement between door latched and door unlatched positions,

detent means pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said support plate and having at one side of its pivot axis a part thereof which in door latched position of said latch device means engages a part of the latter to restrain unlatching movement and which in door unlatched position abuts a camming portion of said latch device means,

outer manually operable means including a member coupled to said detent means at the other side of said pivot axis and selectively positionable thereon in detent means actuating and detent means nonactuating positions,

a locking lever means pivotally mounted port plate and coupled to said member, said locking lever means being shiftable between an unlocked position in which it positions and guides said member for detent actuating movement and a locked position in which it positions and guides said member for detent means nonactuating movement,

a transmitting member pivotally mounted on said detent means at said one side of said pivot axis, said transmitting member being bodily shiftable by said detent means toward said locking lever means upon movement of said detent means independently of actuation by said outer manually operable means,

said locking lever means when in locked position being engaged by said transmitting member upon such bodily shiftable movement and being pivoted thereby to unlocked position,

said transmitting member having a part thereof in abutting relation to said outer manually operable means member whereby movement of said member when in detent means nonactuating position causes pivotal movement of said transmitting member on said detent means to a blocking lever means bypassing position,

said transmitting member in said bypassing position being ineifective to shift said locking lever means from locked to unlocked position. 8. A latch mechanism according to claim 7 in which the independent movement of said detent means is occasioned by the camming action of the latch device means camming portion as said latch device means is moved from door unlatched to door latched position.

9. A latch mechanism according to claim 7 in which said detent means at said one side of the pivot axis has an extension, and

in which an inner manually operable means mounted on said support is engageable with said extension for actuating said detent means independently of said outer manually operable means to release said latch device means for movement from door latched to door unlatched position. 10. A latch mechanism according to claim 7 in which said detent means has at one side of said pivot axis an extension,

inner manually operable means mounted port engageable with said extension,

the movement of the detent means independently of actuation by said outer manually operable means being occasioned by the camming action of said latch means camming portion as said latch device is moved from door unlatched to door latched position, or

by engagement of said inner manually operable means with said detent means extension to release said latch device means for movement from door latched to unlatched position.

11. A latch mechanism according to claim 7 in which the latch device means comprises:

a pair of jaw elements pivotally mounted on one side of said support for swinging movement about spaced axes perpendicular to the plane of said support,

on said supon said supa pair of control members mounted on the opposite side of said support,

each control member being fixedly coupled to one of said jaw elements for pivotal movement therewith,

said control members having intermeshed portions whereby said jaw elements are controlled for movement in unison toward and from each other to door latched and door unlatched positions, respectively,

at least one of said control members being provided with a detent means engageable portion,

the detent means when in engagement with said detent means engageable portion holding said jaw elements in door latched position.

1 2 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,624,606 1/ 1953 Dingman 292-280 2,716,569 8/ 1955 Roethel.

2,723,145 11/1955 Smith.

2,870,620 1/ 1959 Allison.

2,876,032 3/1959 Pickles.

3,121,579 2/1964 Di Salvo et al.

EDWARD c. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

I. R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LATCH MECHANISM COMPRISING A SUPPORT PLATE FOR DISPOSITION AT A FREE EDGE WALL OF A VEHICLE DOOR, PIVOTED LATCH DEVICE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT PLATE FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN DOOR LATCHED AND DOOR UNLATCHED POSITIONS, DETENT MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT PLATE AND BIASED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LATCH DEVICE MEANS IN DOOR LATCHED AND DOOR UNLATCHED POSITIONS THEREOF, SAID DETENT MEANS IN DOOR LATCHED POSITIONS OF SAID LATCH DEVICE MEANS RESTRAINING UNLATCHING MOVEMENT AND IN DOOR UNLATCHED POSITION LYING IN ABUTTING RELATION TO A CAMMING SURFACE ON SAID LATCH DEVICE MEANS, OUTER MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS INCLUDING A MEMBER COUPLED TO SAID DETENT MEANS AND SELECTIVELY POSITIONABLE THEREON IN DETENT MEANS ACTUATING AND NONACTUATING POSITIONS, A LOCKING LEVER MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT AND COUPLED TO SAID MEMBER, SAID LOCKING LEVER MEANS BEING POSITIONABLE IN EITHER AN UNLOCKED POSITION IN WHICH IT POSITIONS AND GUIDES SAID MEMBER FOR DETENT MEANS ACTUATING MOVEMENT OR IN A LOCKED POSITION IN WHICH IT POSITIONS AND GUIDES SAID MEMBER FOR DETENT MEANS NONACTUATING MOVEMENT, AND A TRANSMITTING MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID DETENT MEANS, SAID TRANSMITTING MEMBER BEING BODILY SHIFTABLE BY SAID DETENT MEANS UPON MOVEMENT OF THE LATTER INDEPENDENTLY OF ACTUATION BY SAID OUTER MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS, SAID LOCKING LEVER MEANS WHEN IN LOCKED POSITION BEING ENGAGED BY SAID TRANSMITTING MEMBER UPON SUCH BODILY SHIFTABLE MOVEMENT THEREOF WHEREBY SAID LOCKING LEVER MEANS IS PIVOTED TO UNLOCKED POSITION, SAID TRANSMITTING MEMBER HAVING A PART THEREOF IN ABUTTING RELATION TO SAID OUTER MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS MEMBER WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF THE LATTER WHEN IN DETENT NONACTUATING POSITION CAUSES PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID TRANSMITTING MEMBER ON SAID DETENT MEANS TO A LOCKING LEVER MEANS BYPASSING POSITION, SAID TRANSMITTING MEMBER IN SAID BYPASSING POSITION BEING INEFFECTIVE TO SHIFT SAID LOCKING LEVER MEANS FROM LOCKED TO UNLOCKED POSITION. 